Religion - St. Augustine's Confessions Research Paper

Religion - St. Augustine's Confessions - Research Paper Example Augustine is an influential man. Beyond his obvious influence in the faith, he has exerted tremendous sway on philosophy, theology, and even education. Augustine was not originally a believer. His autobiographical book, Confessions, details his conversion. However, unlike a standard autobiographical book, Augustine recounts the events of his life in terms of how they impact his faith and his beliefs. Many people find the story of Augustine infinitely inspiring and fascinating. Indeed, Benedict XVI called him â€Å"one of Christian history's greatest converts† during his address to the General Audience at the Paul VI Audience Hall. Augustine’s conversion is not a story of blinding light or a single moment that shifted everything. It is, rather, a story of small steps toward an ultimate goal. It is the story of how many forces work to point a person in the direction they need to go. It is the story of how listening to small signs and signals can help a person find their r ightful spot. Although Augustine grew up with religious instruction, he was not a believer in the way he was after his conversion. In fact, he describes his feelings regarding spirituality and faith quite clearly. â€Å"Thus I at that time believed with my mother and the whole house, except my father; yet he did not overcome the influence of my mother’s piety in me so as to prevent my believing in Christ, as he had not yet believed in Him† (Schaff and Augustine, Chapter XI). ... Augustine’s background did not lend itself to faithfulness. His world was much like that of the modern child and adolescent: pleasure and material focused. He recounts the specifics of the society and family in which he was reared. Augustine’s first mention of any sort of spiritual awareness is after entering school. School was a place of wretched existence for Augustine, who was fearful of beatings from his teachers. Augustine recalls his introduction to God: â€Å"O Lord, I observed men praying to thee, and I learned from them to conceive thee--after my capacity for understanding as it was then--to be some great Being, who, though not visible to our senses, was able to hear and help us† (Augustine, 50). He explains that he sought God’s assistance with his everyday concerns at the time, which centered upon comfort. â€Å"Small as I was, I prayed with no slight earnestness that I might not be beaten at school† (Augustine, 50). Augustine’s upb ringing continues in a typical manner; he is consumed with concern over material items and pleasure. His thoughts are not focused toward God. In fact, his thoughts turn to lust as he approaches adolescence. He speaks about the fact that lust is almost taught to boys through their education. He points out that they read about the gods, who deeds are wicked and within whom lust is strong and overpowering. His point is fair that lust is almost taught to boys as a natural condition, one which they can excuse. After all, if even a god cannot overcome his desires, how could a mere mortal be expected to do so? Augustine discusses in depth his battle with lust. This is a battle which will plague him throughout his life, even unto his life as a servant of God. It is a very mortal

The Transformation Model of Commnication in Cotrast to Transmission Mo Essay

The Transformation Model of Commnication in Cotrast to Transmission Model - Essay Example Communication takes place when a sender encodes a message and sends it through the communication channel which can be affected by noise or some sort of interferences. When the intended recipient receives and decodes the message then the intended person may or may not provide feedback as a result. The communication process completes once the intended receiver is able to decode or understand the sender’s message (Littlejohn, 2008). The transmission model of communication is a model which is designed for reducing communication to a process of transmitting information. This approach is also known as an informational approach to communication. This model was presented by Shannon and Weaver in 1949 which was discussed in detail by Chandler on one his text (Sudakshina). The transmission model consists of the following five elements: Any noise which interferes with the traveling message is a dysfunctional element which can either be internal or external. Internal noise arises from the receiver’s knowledge, attitudes and beliefs whereas external noise is which comes from other sources. These internal and external noises can strengthen the intended message or in other words, can weaken the intended effect. The alternatives to the transmissive models of communication are transformational or constructive approaches. These perspectives are designed in order to construct a meaningful message by initiators and interpreters rather than just simply transmitting (Werner Joseph Severin, 2001). Transformative Communication is an approach which is a creative communication process in which people are challenged, empowered and inspired to change belief systems and behaviors. All these transformations are done for facing challenges, discover prospects and opportunities in a changing environment. Transformative Communication is used to support daily activities, peace, conflict resolution, empowerment, healing and more. (Swartz, 2008) Transformative Communication was developed by  Marshall Rosenberg with the sole intention of creating peace through speech and communication.